| Search says 'squawk' From search marketing agency to UK's top parrot cage importer bbc.co.uk |
Arnold Schwarzenegger praises 'action hero' soldiers Arnold Schwarzenegger hailed British troops as the ''true action heroes''. telegraph.co.uk |
Nadine Dorries says her MP's blog was '70% fiction' 'I rely heavily on poetic licence and frequently replace one place name/event/fact with another,' Tory MP told expenses investigationA Tory backbencher has admitted writing a blog that was "70% fiction" to reassure constituents about how hard she was working.Nadine Dorries made the startling admission to investigators during a sleaze investigation that cleared her of abusing the Commons expenses system but found she had "misled" voters.The Mid Bedfordshire MP had been accused of wrongly declaring her constituency property as her second home, even though it was thought she spent most of her time there.The arrangement meant she was entitled to allowances worth £24,000 a year to fund the property.However, standards commissioner John Lyon concluded that the MP had not breached the rules – because she was actually spending the majority of her time in the Cotswolds.Dorries told the probe the Bedfordshire property was merely used "as a means of maintaining a base in my constituency in order to assist with my duties as an MP".Lyon challenged her over posts on her blog that seemed to indicate she was spending more time in Bedfordshire than she really was.One, from 15 May 2009, informed readers her daughter was going to school there.According to documents published by the standards and privileges committee, Dorries responded: "My blog is 70% fiction and 30% fact. It is written as a tool to enable my constituents to know me better and to reassure them of my commitment to Mid Bedfordshire."I rely heavily on poetic licence and frequently replace one place name/event/fact with another."Dorries suggested she had been subjected to "bullying" by the media after the expenses scandal broke."In the light of the bullying onslaught of the Daily Telegraph I used my blog to its best effect in reassuring my constituents of my commitment to Mid Beds," she wrote."My commitment is absolute and is always my first consideration regardless of where I sleep at night."However, I have always been aware that should my personal domestic arrangements become the knowledge of my political opponents, they would be able to exaggerate that to good effect. Hence the reason for my blog and my need to reassure my constituents."Lyon's report criticised Dorries' blog, saying it "gave information to its readers, including Ms Dorries' constituents and party supporters, which provided a misleading impression of her arrangements as a member of parliament for the constituency".Dorries was also rebuked by the committee for failing to keep the house authorities up to date with changes to the address of her main home in Gloucestershire after her marriage broke down.MPs' expensesHouse of Commonsguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
How one boy's killing shocked a nation The killing of a 10-year-old boy in Peckham shocked Britain. But why does Damilola Taylor's death continue to resonate 10 years on? bbc.co.uk |
Andrew Lansley aims to tackle health of vulnerable with better NHS care Health secretary plans health inclusion board to improve chronic medical problems among marginalised groups The coalition will tomorrow pledge to improve the health of vulnerable groups such as the homeless, sex workers and prisoners by providing them with better NHS care.The health secretary, Andrew Lansley, is setting up a health inclusion board to tackle chronic health problems among marginalised groups, many of whom often do not visit GPs, hospitals or dentists.He has recruited one of the UK's leading doctors, Prof Steve Field, who until two weeks ago was chair of the Royal College of GPs, to lead the new body of expert advisers. Its members – doctors, nurses, charities and specialist in reducing health inequalities – will assess whether the NHS is doing enough to increase access to services for such groups and reduce the gaps between their quality of health and that of other members of the population.Field said: "Andrew Lansley wants to make a big difference in health inequalities and to make sure that the most disadvantaged in society get the healthcare they need and deserve. The board will champion the cause of people who are vulnerable and socially excluded, such as the homeless and street sex workers."The move is part of a new approach to tackle health inequalities, which research suggests are as wide as during the Depression, and which did not improve under the last Labour government. More comprehensive details will be unveiled when Lansley publishes a white paper on public health."It's a scandal that life expectancy among homeless people is in the low 40s," said Field. "At a time when healthcare and lifestyle improvements mean that men and women are living longer than ever, some homeless people only live for about half the time average Britons do."Although some local NHS services do provide specialist care for the homeless, Field added, "it's appalling that the NHS has failed to deliver consistently good services across the country for disadvantaged groups."We want to ensure that all members of society, whether they live in Kensington or are homeless, receive the benefits of our ever-improving NHS."The board will also seek to improve care for groups such as problematic drug users, refugees, asylum seekers, those who have left care and young people who are not in education, employment or training. Improvements would save money because such groups cost the NHS disproportionate amounts of money, said Field. Homeless people spend eight times more time in hospital and make five time more visits to A&E departments than other groups."The coalition government is committed to tackling health inequalities," said Lansley. "We believe we have a responsibility to look after the most vulnerable."That's why, unlike Labour, we are putting our money where our mouth is and providing a ring-fenced public health budget, weighted towards the most deprived areas, to ensure resources are spent on preventative work, with incentives to improve the health of the poorest".Charles Fraser, the chief executive of St Mungo's, an agency for the homeless in London, welcomed the move as "the best template I've yet seen for addressing the very acute and entrenched health needs of this population. The NHS doesn't easily deliver tailored care to people with multiple health problems and who are defined socially rather than medically. We hope this initiative will end the neglect of homeless people's health and give them the same sort of universal healthcare which is offered to every member of the population."Fraser also suggested that regular health checks should be offered to all homeless people, he suggested.Andrew LansleyHealth policyNHSHealthDenis Campbellguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |